10 killed in Mingora suicide blast

Atleast, ten people including 3 security officials were killed while scores of others sustained injuries in a suicide attack outside Circuit House in Mingora on Saturday.

The security forces after cordoned off the area, started a search operation. Federal Minister for Inferior Rehman Malik has sought the report from IG NWFP.

According to initial reports a suicide attacker rammed his car with a security check post in which 10 persons were killed and several others were injured. The injured and bodies have been shifted to Saeedu Sharif hospital.

According to eyewitnesses, the blast was so powerful and the nearby buildings were collapsed while the windowpanes of several buildings were also broken. Several vehicles were also caught fire and the sound of the blast was heard from faraway areas.

The premises houses security forces local headquarter, reports said. The district court and several government offices also located in the area.

The security forces clamped curfew on Saeedu Sharif Road and asked businessmen to close their shops.

According to DPO Mingora, the explosive material weighted 14 kilogram was used in the blast. According to sources, 2 security officials and one policeman were also among the people who lost their lives.

According to DPO Swat Ghulam Farooq, it was a suicide attack but the attacker failed to reach his target due to strict security and he blew himself up before reaching to the Checkpost.

According to military officials, the suicide attack was happened at 9:15 am near a Joint Check Post, located between Libraray and a Court.

President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani strongly condemned the suicide attack in Mingora, Swat and expressed deep sorrow and grief over the loss of life and property.

In separate messages, the President and the Prime Minister expressed their resolve not to be deterred by such acts of wanton terror saying the government remains committed to eliminate the extremists and terrorists.

He said that the people and the Government of Pakistan are determined to root out this menace and make Pakistan a stable and prosperous country. He added that cleansing of Swat of militants and criminals involved huge sacrifices by the nation as a whole and that the gains achieved in the Malakand region would not be allowed to whittle away under any circumstances.